Concert Review: BM Brings the Heat to Webster Hall With First Solo Tour

South Korean singer and rapper BM brought the heat to New York City's Webster Hall for a stop on his first solo tour, After the After Party. BM, best known as a member of co-ed K-pop group KARD, has become known among his fans and the K-pop community for be unafraid to rap about sexual topics, especially in his solo music, something that is taboo in most K-pop music. When he took the stage for last night's show, BM described what we were about to experience as "ratchet and unhinged" and he delivered on that promise.

The show, for 21+ audiences only, was a phone-free experience. Our photos were placed in pouches that were zip-tied shut, which allowed us to still see our screens but did not allow for the taking of any photos or videos during the performance. While this is intended to not allow for spoilers to hit the internet, it also made for a much more intimate experience between the artist and his fans, creating a connection without screens in between.

Kicking off the party were two openers, CLUB BOYBND and Sunkis, who both did a great job getting the crowd hyped up for the man they were all there to see - BM himself. When he finally hit the stage, the crowd went wild.

BM performed a nonstop marathon of his hit songs, including recent release "Nectar", fan favorites "13IVI" and "Body Movin'", and the tour's namesake "After the After Party", among many others. He even used one section of the show to include songs he had been featured on, including "ICKY" from KARD, which the audience ate right up. Accompanied with hip gyrations and powerful dance moves, BM's fans, free from technology distractions, were fully locked in for the entire show.

The show wasn't entirely raunchy, though. BM admitted to having a soft side "underneath all this", he said, gesturing to his body. He then asked for our permission to "be a simp" for a few minutes, performing some of his softer, less sexual songs. 

Without giving away any spoilers, there were also two separate interactive moments in the show, where specific fans who were pre-selected got to take part in special segments with BM himself. I've been to many, many concerts in my lifetime, but during those moments I heard some of the loudest cheers I've heard in a long time. It was an exciting moment, not just for the lucky chosen fans, but for all of us to watch and experience in front of us.

BM is an incredible performer who knows how to work a stage entirely on his own, without any backup dancers required. He kept the crowd engaged, and I deeply respect and admire the choice to make this tour adults-only and phone-free, both of which enhanced the experience. At the end of the show, he asked who would come back if he returns to perform in New York again, and I, along with hundreds of others, shouted an affirmative response. I wouldn't miss it for anything!